I have this empty 54g tank on my display floor which I have been
planning to fill with water, but I just hadn't decided on a theme yet.
It's a very wide tank which seemed a little odd for the usual display
tanks coming out of the manufacturers. Your post has helped me decide to
go 100% planted and install three CO2 canisters (Hagen makes a
yeast/sugar model). There is also a new internal bio-filter from
Fluval(?) that I want to try (should be good to keep the CO2 levels from
dissipating too fast. The wide tank width will help with planting area
and with room for extra lights (some Oceanic CFs). *Amano, eat your
heart out... well maybe some day ;o)*. For fish, perhaps something
simple & elegant, like a school of 30 Harlequin Rasboras. I'd been
meaning to set up a display to show off these fish ) Thanks for the
idea redled!!

Thanks to all who contributed plant ideas.

ps: I have already posted in the store, most of my book-marks, including
a variety of DIY sites for building tanks, stands, light canopies and CO2
injection systems. I was a little nervous about how it would be received
by management *gulp*, but they loved it. They like the idea that we are
becoming an authoritive site for anything related to the hobby, and have
no problem with mentioning DIY or products we don't carry, (though if the
products are worth carrying, they wanted to know why I am not making
arrangements to buy them *where is Seachem's phone number? ;o)*

NetMax

"redled" wrote in message
...
Foreground plants! IME these are the hardest to find. If I could just
find
some riccia fluitans and some glossostigma I would be happy. If you
have the
resources to outfit one tank with CO2 and high lighting, I think you
could get
a lot of people into plants. I find that the average person has never
seen a
"real" planted tank and expects most plants to die. Seeing a wide
variety of
plants THRIVE is what got me into this hobby. Also an experience:
when I was
looking to setup a planted tank, I knew about CO2 and lighting
solutions, but
was intimidated by the high cost. One LFS picked up on this, and told
me
about DIY CO2, shop lights, and the krib. They gave me lots of
options,
instead of just trying to sell me flourite and carbo plus. Now I try
to do
all my shopping there, when possible. Without this experience, I would
still
have but a lonely 10gallon aquarium with bright blue gravel, dreaming
about
they day when I could afford the commercial systems. If I had the good
fortune of running an LFS, I think I would display a high-tech planted
tank,
but also inform people of the DIY solutions. I would hope that those
successful in DIY endevours would come back for fish, food, etc.

In article , "NetMax"
wrote:
I manage a tropical fish dept, and I have a supplier who can provide
me
with over a thousand types of plants, all identified by their
scientific
names. I am not a specialty store, but I encourage the use of natural
plants and I want my customer's first experience with plants to be a
good
one. Our water originates from the river, it's soft (2-3dgH, 2-3dkH),
slightly alkaline (7.5pH) and they typically have 0.8 to 1.4w/g of
fluorescent lighting available in tanks which are 16 to 18" deep.

snip
__
"Insert witty comment here."
-John

NetMax wrote:
heart out... well maybe some day ;o)*. For fish, perhaps something
simple & elegant, like a school of 30 Harlequin Rasboras. I'd been

Don't forget to add a bunch of cardinia japonica, ottos, and corys for
cleanup.

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message
...
NetMax wrote:
heart out... well maybe some day ;o)*. For fish, perhaps something
simple & elegant, like a school of 30 Harlequin Rasboras. I'd been

Don't forget to add a bunch of cardinia japonica, ottos, and corys for
cleanup.

I'm actually a little timid about putting in bottom feeders as I will
never be able to get them out. I already have Corys showcased in my
Gourami tank, but perhaps Kuhli loaches would be cute poking their heads
out of the grass ;o). I might breed the Kuhlis in there, but I will
probably never catch any of them ever. Ottos are a strong possibility,
incrementally to keep up with any algae. I'm not familiar enough with
the various shrimps like Cardinia japonica, and had been thinking of some
Amano or ghost shrimps. They need to be simple to feed, not eat the
plants or the Harlequins. Is there a shrimp FAQ site?

NetMax

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

In article , "NetMax" wrote:
I have this empty 54g tank on my display floor which I have been
planning to fill with water, but I just hadn't decided on a theme yet.
It's a very wide tank which seemed a little odd for the usual display
tanks coming out of the manufacturers. Your post has helped me decide to
go 100% planted and install three CO2 canisters (Hagen makes a
yeast/sugar model). There is also a new internal bio-filter from
Fluval(?) that I want to try (should be good to keep the CO2 levels from
dissipating too fast. The wide tank width will help with planting area
and with room for extra lights (some Oceanic CFs). *Amano, eat your
heart out... well maybe some day ;o)*. For fish, perhaps something
simple & elegant, like a school of 30 Harlequin Rasboras. I'd been
meaning to set up a display to show off these fish ) Thanks for the
idea redled!!

You're welcome! Sounds like you have a great store going. Hopefully your
setup, and extra information will get people into the hobby on the right foot
(ie: people will have a good first experience and the hobby will be a
long-term interest). I agree that simple stocking is best, after all, the
plants are supposed to be on display. IME amano shrimp are much less shy than
ghost shrimp, but I've also heard people say the opposite. Both are
harmless, but ghost shrimp may go after fry and eggs (including snail eggs).
Good idea with the Hagen CO2 systems. Don't want people to think that a fancy
setup is required for a nice tank, that might discourage them.

__
"Insert witty comment here."
-John

NetMax wrote:
incrementally to keep up with any algae. I'm not familiar enough with
the various shrimps like Cardinia japonica, and had been thinking of some
Amano or ghost shrimps. They need to be simple to feed, not eat the
plants or the Harlequins. Is there a shrimp FAQ site?

Amanos are cardinia japonica... they eat algae, so they are good for
planted tanks. Wood shrimp are filter feeders, so they are a good choice
too.
http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/Shrimp/

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

Skip the cories, well no, I can't live without my panda's

but do put in Khuli's


(Victor M. Martinez) wrote in
:

NetMax wrote:
heart out... well maybe some day ;o)*. For fish, perhaps something
simple & elegant, like a school of 30 Harlequin Rasboras. I'd been

Don't forget to add a bunch of cardinia japonica, ottos, and corys for
cleanup.

Aside from the Krib

try:

http://www.shrimpcrabsandcrayfish.co....htm~mainFrame

"NetMax" wrote in
:


"Victor M. Martinez" wrote in message
...
NetMax wrote:
heart out... well maybe some day ;o)*. For fish, perhaps something
simple & elegant, like a school of 30 Harlequin Rasboras. I'd been

Don't forget to add a bunch of cardinia japonica, ottos, and corys for
cleanup.

I'm actually a little timid about putting in bottom feeders as I will
never be able to get them out. I already have Corys showcased in my
Gourami tank, but perhaps Kuhli loaches would be cute poking their heads
out of the grass ;o). I might breed the Kuhlis in there, but I will
probably never catch any of them ever. Ottos are a strong possibility,
incrementally to keep up with any algae. I'm not familiar enough with
the various shrimps like Cardinia japonica, and had been thinking of some
Amano or ghost shrimps. They need to be simple to feed, not eat the
plants or the Harlequins. Is there a shrimp FAQ site?

NetMax

--
Victor M. Martinez

http://www.che.utexas.edu/~martiv

After folks, management is convinced of the effectiveness of DIY CO2,
maybe they'll get wise and buy a gas tank system.

This will do two very good things for the store.
If they sell reef of planted tank it will give them experience and the
ability to sell such mechandise. It will allow them to spend far less
mainteance time of both Reefs and Planted tanks.

The same CO2 gas tank and regulator can drive an array of tanks, both
for Reefs, eg, Kalk reactors to maintain alkalinity and Ca levels in
coral tanks and planted CO2 FW tanks.
All you do is add another needle valve and a brass 1/8" T which run
10.91$ + 1$ for the T etc from www.clippard.com and the store can sell
these for about 20-25$ each retail.
The Regulators for 51.95 from Kegworks.com.
Gas tanks locally.
Silicone airline for the lines.
A reactor is all that's left and of course peripheral things like pH
test kits etc.
A single system can supply an entire store which CO2, I did a store
that now has 20 tanks with CO2. 12 FW and 8 SW kalk systems.
A single 50lb tank.

They fill it once every two years or so. Cost 30$.

It's much more precise than maze DIY systems qnd better long term CO2
supply for folks. You can do CO2 to a high level with DIY, but
............we tend to slack off as people at some point. The gas
really is 100% worth every penny.

The LFS will get the use and the sales out the system. But show them
the usefulness of CO2 first.

You can also have the LFS box up generic fert's in LFS labeled
containers, eg KNO3, K2SO4, KH2PO4 etc.
You can get all that at grass turf places and ag stores in 50lb sacs.
They run about 25$ and 50 units x 5$ each for K2SO4 and KNO3 = 250$ of
profit. For the KH2PO4, 2 oz for 5$ = 2000$ for 25$.
They can make their own traces using CMS plantex etc also.
Or you can sell them the stuff also.

Good luck.
Regards,
Tom Barr

I had a wood shrimp in a planted tank not too long ago, he had to go
back to the LFS; they will sometimes dig and uproot plants.

My amano shrimp were my first purchase ever for an aquarium and I still
have them. They don't bother anything and do a great job of cleanup. The
only thing they don't do is get algae off of the glass.

--donovan